The Most Dangerous Jobs In World War II

Even more deadly than being an infantryman or Marine

(By Daventry B J (Mr), Royal Air Force official photographer — http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//22/media-22893/large.jpgThis photograph CH 2992 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24468574)

World War II was the bloodiest war in human history for both combat casualties and civilian casualties. There was no shortage of places in the world that could get you maimed or killed during the war. However, there were a few jobs that were far deadlier than the rest. Many people like to read up on the exploits of frontline infantry and Marines, and while life on the front was terrifying and deadly, it wasn’t actually the worst place to find yourself during World War II.

Here are the deadliest jobs in World War II, including their fatality rate. All of these positions had much higher fatality rates than frontline infantry or even Pacific Marines.

Merchant Marine Sailor (4%)

Most people don’t consider the Merchant Marine to be a “real” branch of the military. That is a shame. Not only was the Merchant Marine vital for the success of the war effort, but it was also an incredibly dangerous field. The Merchant Marines had a higher fatality rate (4%) than the actual Marines (3.6%) during the war. The Merchant Marine was made up of thousands of forgotten sailors and officers who piloted, manned, and defended slow and vulnerable craft as they hauled vital supplies between ports during the war.